Games
Icons have replaced Legends, but which classic players will be in the game?
FIFA’s Legends have received an upgrade for FIFA 18. This FUT staple is now called Icons. These Icons, described as the best of the best, will replace Legends such as Pelé, George Best and Bobby Moore. As any FIFA player will know, these Legends were previously exclusive to Xbox consoles but now, thanks to their new Icon banner, everyone will be able to play as some of the best players of all time. Well, assuming that you're lucky enough to unpack them, that is.
Each Icon will receive three card variants based on different stages of their careers. The feature, which EA is calling 'Icons Stories', will seemingly apply to every Icon in the game, with each card receiving different ratings. So far, sixteen FIFA 18 Icons have been announced, including the previous FIFA Legend - Pelé. As we're just as footy obsessed as you are, we'll be updating this post every time there's a new Icon announcement, so keep your eyes on this post.
FIFA 18's Icons are:
- Lev Yashin
- Maradona
- Thierry Henry
- Pelé
- Ronaldo
- Ronaldinho
- Rio Ferdinand
- Ruud Gullit
- Roberto Carlos
- Jay-Jay Okocha
- Patrick Vieira
- Peter Schmeichel
- Carlos Puyol
- Alessandro Del Piero
- Michael Owen
- Deco
- Paolo Maldini
- Marco van Basten
- Lothar Matthäus
- Dennis Bergkamp
- Javier Zanetti
- Alessandro Nesta
- Edwin van der Sar
- Gheorghe Hagi
- Patrick Kluivert
- Robert Pirès
- Andrij Shevchenko
- Alan Shearer
- Marcel Desailly
- Laurent Blanc
- Michael Laudrup
- Filippo Inzaghi
- Marc Overmars
- Henrik Larsson
- Emmanuel Petit
- Luis Hernández
- Rui Costa
- Frank Rijkaard
- Jari Litmanen
- Hernán Crespo
Discover more about each player below and find out why they deserve to be Icons.
Lev Yashin
Position: Goalkeeper
Some say that Lev Yashin is the greatest goalkeeper ever. The likes of Buffon, Peter Schmeichel and Neuer might have something to say about that, but The Black Spider is the only 'keeper ever to win the Ballon d'or. You can't argue with the stats either as it's said that the Russia and Dynamo Moscow legend saved over 150 penalties and 270 clean sheets, four of them kept in three successive World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1966. Unlike the other Icons on this list, the World Cup eluded him, but he won the European Championships with Russia in 1960, Olympic Gold in 1956 and celebrated five league titles with Dynamo Moscow.
Diego Maradona
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Before the Ronaldo Vs Messi debate, football fans argued over Pelé and Maradona: Who was the greatest? For those whose first World Cup was Mexico 86, it was Maradona – blessed with incredible dribbling skills, he lit up the competition with one of the tournament's greatest ever goals when he beat almost half of the England team to score. That was after he'd punched one into the net. While he was supported by some very able footballers, some say that Maradona pretty much won the World Cup by himself in 86. Not even the great Messi can match that achievement.
Thierry Henry
Position: Striker
Arsenal's highest-ever goalscorer was part of The Invincibles, his 25 goals helping The Gunners to win the Premier League title without losing a single game. He'd already won The World Cup with France before he joined the North London side as a winger. Quickly converted to centre-forward, he had the pace to run clear of defenders and great composure in front of goal. These qualities led to Barcelona signing the four-time Premier League golden boot winner – he would win two La Liga titles and a Champion's League winner's medal with the Spanish side.
Pelé
Position: Striker
Pelé was already a Legend in FIFA 17, and now he's back as an Icon in FIFA 18. Brazil's top scorer won the World Cup in Sweden at just 17 years old, scoring two memorable goals against the hosts in a 5-2 win over the hosts. He was part of the squad which won the 1962 World Cup four years later, although injury ended his tournament early. Injury struck again in the 1966 World Cup after he was persistently fouled by opposition defenders, but Pelé returned in style in 1970, winning the tournament with arguably the greatest ever international team. He finished his career having scored over 600 goals.
Ronaldo Nazário
Position: Striker
Back in the 1990s and the early noughties, Ronaldo Nazário didn't need a surname. There was only one Ronaldo, and he was awesome. Now, thanks to Cristiano, there are two!
Just like his Portuguese namesake, in his prime Ronaldo was fast, incredibly skilful and a great goalscorer. 54 goals in 58 games for PSV Eindhoven prompted Barcelona to pay a world record £13.2m for the Brazilian's services in 1996. He repaid them instantly with 47 goals in 49 appearances that season, winning FIFA's World Player of the Year, the first of three that he would win in his career
A move to Internazionale in Italy followed, and he looked set to star for Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, but although he scored four goals, he will be remembered for his listless performance in the final against France after suffering a fit hours before the match. France won 3-0, but four years later. Ronaldo helped his country win their fifth World Cup, scoring eight goals in Japan and Korea, including two in the final against Germany.
He continued to bang them in for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Corinthians, before retiring in 2011 having scored 352 goals in 518 games. We'd expect this Icon to have very high pace and finishing stats, plus 5-star skill moves in FIFA 18.
Ronaldinho
Position: Midfielder
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho makes his debut appearance as an Icon in Ultimate Team. The flamboyant attacking midfielder appeared 97 times for his country from 1999-2013, winning the 2002 World Cup along the way. He was also named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 for his performances with Barcelona, becoming only the third player to win the award more than once. Additionally, he won the 2005 Ballon d'Or while at the club, and helped the team to a 05-06 Champions League title with victory over Arsenal. His storied career has seen him turn out for PSG, Milan and Grêmio, while he last featured for Fluminense in 2015.
Rio Ferdinand
Position: Defender
English centre-back Rio Ferdinand returns after appearing as a Legend in FIFA 17. After beginning his career at West Ham in 1992, he went on to notch up over 120 appearances for the Hammers over eight years before joining Leeds United in 2000. He's best-known for his twelve-year spell at Manchester United, in which he broke the then-transfer record of just under £30 million. His time at the Red Devils saw him win the Premier League six times, the League Cup twice, and a memorable Champions League title in 07-08. Ferdinand also amassed 81 caps for the English national side, and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Ruud Gullit
Position: Midfielder
Member of the famous Dutch trio at AC Milan in the late 80's, Ruud Gullit won three Serie A titles and two European Cups during his time with the Italian outfit. He also made 66 appearances for the Dutch national side between 1981 and 1994, captaining the side to Euro 1988 victory over the Soviet Union. Gullit won the Ballon d'Or in 1987, as well as being named World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.
Roberto Carlos
Position: Defender
Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos is considered one of the best left-backs in football history. The set-piece specialist was known for his ability to bend the ball like no other, as he did many times for the Brazilian national team between 1992 and 2006. His 11-season spell at Real Madrid saw him win the La Liga four times, the Champions League three times and the UEFA Super Cup once. He's also a World Cup winner, clinching the title with his national team in 2002.
Jay-Jay Okocha
Position: Midfielder
Ex-Frankfurt, PSG and Bolton Wanderers midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha returns in FIFA 18 as an Icon. The Nigerian was known for his creativity and skill on the ball, notching up 75 caps for his home country as a result. He was part of the 1994 African Cup of Nations side that won the tournament, while also emerging the 1998 African Footballer of the Year runner-up a few years later. His trophy honours include the UEFA Intertoto Cup and a 1996 Olympic Gold Medal.
Patrick Vieira
Position: Midfielder
Best known for his nine-year spell at Arsenal, Patrick Vieira also amassed 107 caps for France throughout his career. Vieira was a member of the Arsenal 'Invincibles' side of 03-04, winning three Premier League and FA Cup titles during his time with the club. Vieira also won the Serie A four times with Inter Milan, following it up with another FA Cup victory with Manchester City in 2011. If that wasn't enough, Vieira also won both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with the French national side.
Peter Schmeichel
Position: Goalkeeper
Manchester United's legendary keeper returns as an Icon in FIFA 18. The Danish international notched up just under 300 appearances for the Red Devils between 1991 and 1999. Memorably, he was part of United's treble-winning season in his final year at the club, before later appearing for Sporting CP, Aston Villa and Manchester City. The highly-capped international was part of Denmark's Euro 92-winning side, and received multiple honours throughout his career including Danish Football Player of the Year.
Carlos Puyol
Position: Goalkeeper
Spaniard Carlos Puyol spent his entire professional career at La Liga's Barcelona. In the process, he won a mass of titles, including six La Ligas, three Champions Leagues and two Copa Del Reys. He was also a part of Spain's World Cup and European Championship-winning sides in 2008 and 2010, scoring a memorable winning goal in the latter's semi-final. Puyol appeared just under 600 times for Barcelona – an incredible feat for a truly incredible player.
Alessandro Del Piero
Position: Forward
Italian wizard Alessandro Del Piero appeared over 500 times for Juventus between 1993 and 2012. In the process, he received two Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year awards in 1998 and 2008 respectively. He won Serie A six times with Juventus during his spell, also winning the 95-96 Champions League title and four Italian Super Cup trophies. In 2006, he was part of the most recent Italian side to win the World Cup, and currently sits their tenth most-capped player of all time.
Michael Owen
Position: Striker
Young Michael Owen burst on the scene as an 18-year-old in the 1998 World Cup. He went on to score 40 goals in 98 games for his country, while his form for Liverpool saw him win the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. Owen was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1998, and followed it up by winning the Ballon d'Or in 2001. Spells at Real Madrid and Newcastle followed, before Owen won a Premier League winners medal with Manchester United in 2011.
Deco
Position: Midfielder
Portuguese star Deco is best-known for his spells with Porto and Barcelona. The former saw him win the Champions League with Jose Mourinho in 2004 – the year in which he received the Portuguese League Footballer of the Year award. His big move to Barcelona then saw him notch up two La Liga titles and the 2006 Champions League trophy, before winning the Premier League and FA Cup (two times!) with Chelsea a few years later. The midfielder also appeared in two World Cups, and reached the final of Euro 2004.
Paolo Maldini
Position: Defender
Whether you're playing for Grimsby Town or AC Milian, spending your entire career at one club immediately makes you an icon, but not many players manage to win seven league titles and five European Cups in their career. That's what Paolo Maldini achieved in 25 seasons with AC Milan. The cultured left-back also won the World Cup with Italy.
Marco van Basten
Position: Striker
Van Basten was the best striker in the world in the late 80s, helping The Netherlands win Euro 88 with an incredible volley from an impossible angle against Russia in the final. Sadly, a knee injury forced him to retire in 1993 at the age of 28, but before then he won three Dutch titles with Ajax (scoring an incredible 128 goals in 133 appearances), plus three Serie A trophies and two European Cups with the great Milan side of the day. He also won the Ballon d'Or three times.
Lothar Matthäus
Position: Midfielder, Defender
Most people will remember Matthäus the midfielder, the driving force in the West Germany side which won the World Cup in 1990, knocking out England in the semi-final. He actually made 25 appearances in five World Cups (a record) between 1982 and 1998, reaching three finals. He also won Euro 80 and only retired from international football in 2000, picking up 150 caps (another record!) in 20 years with the national side. Legend.
Dennis Bergkamp
Position: Centre-forward
Dennis Bergkamp won three Premier League titles in Arsene Wenger's glory days with Arsenal (remember them?), but he'll probably be remembered for the quality of goals he scored rather than the trophies he lifted. The wonderful hat-trick against Leicester City at Filbert Street, the impossible turn and finish against Newcastle, voted as the best Premier League goal of all-time, and the incredible last-minute winner against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup Quarter-Final (see above).
Javier Zanetti
Position: Defender, Midfielder
England fans may remember Zanetti as the player who scored from a clever free-kick for Argentina in World Cup 98, but this was just one of an incredible 1,114 games the defender made. 858 of them were for Inter Milan, where he won 16 trophies, including five Scudetti and a Champions League. His 145 appearnaces for the national team make him the most capped Argentina player.
Alessandro Nesta
Position: Defender
You only have to look at his performance for Italy in the semi-final of Euro 2000 to see why Nesta is regarded as one of the best centre-backs of all time. Reduced to 10 men after Zambotta's sending off in the 34th minute, Nesta, together with Cannavaro and Maldini, managed to shut out a talented Dutch side for 120 minutes, eventually winning on penalties. They would lose the final to a French side featuring Zidane and Henry, but would have their revenge six year's later, beating France on penalties to win the World Cup. He also won Serie A with Lazio, before moving to AC Milan in 2002, where he won two more league titles and two Champions League medals.
Edwin van der Sar
Position: Goalkeeper
The most-capped Dutch player of all time was part of Ajax's golden generation which won the Champions League in 1995. Many thought his best days were behind him when he moved from Juventus to Fulham, but he enjoyed more success after Manchester United snapped him up in 2005, winning a second Champions League 13 years after his first. He also holds the world clean sheet record for going 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal for United.
Gheorghe Hagi
Position: Attacking midfielder
The Maradona of the Carpathians is undoubtedly the greatest Romanian player ever. Blessed with great skills and vision, he was good enough to play for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, although he spent the majority of his career with Galatasaray, where he won four league titles in a row. He's perhaps best remembered for his wonderful 40-yard lob against Colombia at World Cup 94.
Patrick Kluivert
Position: Striker
Kluivert was just 18 when he scored the winning goal for Ajax in the 1995 Champions League Final. He enjoyed great partnerships with Rivaldo at Barcelona, where he won La Liga in 1999, and Dennis Bergkamp for The Netherlands as part of the team that reached the World Cup 98 semi-final.
Robert Pirès
Position: Midfielder
Remember him for this:
But not this:
Robert Pirès had already won the World Cup and Euro 2000 with France before he joined Arsenal for just £6m. He was a key player in Arsenal's Invincibles side which won the league title without losing a single game in 2003/04.
Andrij Shevchenko
Position: Striker
Chelsea fans won't remember him as an icon of the club, but before he signed for the Blues in 2006 he had enjoyed an incredible career with Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan. He was part of the great Kyiv side that reached the Champions League semi-final in 1999, top scoring in the competition with eight goals. He went one step further with Milan in 2003, scoring the winning penalty as the Rossineri beat Juventus on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
Alan Shearer
Position: Striker
Shearer won a single league title with Blackburn in 1995 and was part of the England side that reached the semi-final of 1996. He may not have the medals to show for an incredible career, but his 260 goals for Southampton, Rovers and Newcastle make him the Premier League's all-time top scorer. Volleys, headers, tap-ins, penalties – he scored a huge variety of goals, but his celebration remained the same.
Marcel Desailly
Position: Defender
Desailly was part of the incredible Milan side that beat Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 Champions League final – he even scored! He had previously won Europe's biggest honour with Marseille in 1993, and went on to win the World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, forming a great partnership with Laurent Blanc at the back. He also starred with Chelsea, winning an FA Cup.
Laurent Blanc
Position: Defender
Blanc was Desailly's central defensive partner for the French side that won the World Cup in 1998, although he missed out on the final after being harshly sent off during the semi-final victory over Croatia. Previously, he had scored the competition's first ever golden goal winner against Paraguay to help France reach the quarter-final. He would go onto win Euro 2000 with France and the Premier League in 2003 with Manchester United.
Michael Laudrup
Position: Midfielder
Arguably the best Danish outfield player of all-time, he came to prominence in the 1986 World Cup, playing brilliantly for a Denmark side which won all three matches in the group stages (including a victory over eventual finalists Germany), but lost 5-1 against Spain in the second round. He had actually won Serie A with Juventus in the season building up to the World Cup and went on to win four league titles in a row with the Barcelona Dream Team that also lifted the European Cup in 1992.
Filippo Inzaghi
Position: Striker
Inzaghi was a great goalscorer, netting 313 times in his career. His goals helped Juventus and Milan with the Champions League, and he also won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
Marc Overmars
Position: Winger
Overmars, another member of Ajax's golden generation that won the 95 Champions League, moved to Arsenal in 1997. He helped the Gunners win the double in his first season, scoring crucial goals against Manchester United (see above) in the Premier League and Newcastle in the FA Cup Final. The fast, direct winger moved to Barcelona for £25m in 2000, making him the most expensive player in Dutch history.
Henrik Larsson
Position: Striker
Larsson is a Celtic legend, his 242 goals in 315 appearances helping the Glasgow side to four SPL titles. Celtic are serial winners of the SPL, but Larsson took the Bhoys to another level as they reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2004. He scored twice, but Celtic were beaten by Jose Mourinho's Porto in the final. He would win a European trophy with Barcelona in 2006, and it was the big one – the Champions League.
Emmanuel Petit
Position: Midfielder
Petit scored the final goal of France's World Cup final win over Brazil in 1998. It capped a great season for the midfielder, who had already won the double in his first season with Arsenal. Moves to Barcelona and Chelsea followed, but he'll be remembered for the dominant midfield partnership he formed with Patrick Vieira at The Gunners.
Luis Hernández
Position: Striker
Hernandez is a Mexico legend. El Matador has scored more goals than any other Mexican player at the World Cup, hitting four at the 1998 tournament in France.
Rui Costa
Position: Midfielder
A wonderfully talented creative midfielder, Rui Costa played alongside the likes of Luis Figo and Deco in the Portuguese side that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and the Euro 2004 final. While international honours eluded him, Rui Costa won the Champions League and Serie A with Milan.
Frank Rijkaard
Position: Midfielder
Along with Van Basten and Gullit, Rijkaard was one of the stars of the Dutch side that won Euro 88. The trio all went on to play for Milan during a golden period for the Italian side, winning back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990. He returned to Ajax in 1993 and was one of the more experienced players in the side that won the Champions League in 1995. He's regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of all time.
Jari Litmanen
Position: Attacking midfielder
Yet another member of that legendary 1995 Champions League-winning Ajax team. Litmanen is the greatest Finnish player of all time, and his performances in Holland led to him signing for Barcelona and, later, Liverpool. He never reached the highs that he achieved when playing for the Ajax, but he enjoyed a triumphant return to the Amsterdam side when he won the Eredivisie in 2004.
Hernán Crespo
Position: Striker
When Lazio paid Parma £35.5m for Crespo in 2000, the Argentinian striker became the most expensive player in the world. He repaid them with 39 goals in 54 games, winning the Supercoppa Italiana. He would go on to play for Chelsea, Milan and Inter, before finishing his career back in Parma. With 35 goals for Argentina, he is the third highest scorer for the country behind Messi and Batistuta.
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